CAUSES AND AFTERMATH OF VOTE BUYING AND MONEY POLITICS IN NIGERIA

ABSTRACT This study investigates the persistence of vote buying and money politics in Nigeria’s electoral process using Democracy Theory as its guiding theoretical framework. Democracy Theory emphasizes citizens’ participation, equality, and accountability as essential elements for sustaining democratic governance. However, the Nigerian experience reveals that these democratic ideals are consistently undermined by the monetization of elections. Relying on secondary data derived from scholarly literature, institutional reports, and policy documents, the study analyzes how socio-economic deprivation, institutional weakness, and political clientelism sustain vote buying despite existing legal frameworks such as the Electoral Act 2022 and the oversight role of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). Findings show that persistent poverty, weak enforcement of electoral laws, and elite dominance have entrenched a transactional political culture that erodes public trust in democratic institutions. Vote buying has transformed elections from a civic exercise into a marketplace of financial inducements, thereby distorting political representation and weakening democratic accountability. The study concludes that Nigeria’s democracy remains fragile and largely procedural rather than participatory or substantive. It recommends stronger institutional reforms, enhanced civic education, and socio-economic empowerment as necessary steps to curb electoral corruption and restore the foundational principles of democracy. Keywords: Democracy Theory, vote buying, money politics, electoral corruption, Nigeria, secondary data